Robin and his companions hurried along the dimly lit streets, the surrounding buildings casting long shadows in the night, like behemoths from another world. Their steps were steady and swift, each one seemingly filled with determination and courage. Leah gripped the dagger at her waist tightly, ready to face any challenge that might come. Rex frequently glanced back at his teammates to ensure their safety. Arya followed closely behind, her wand poised to unleash powerful magic at any moment. Mark walked in the middle of the group, the bronze mirror in his hand occasionally flashing a faint light, as if guiding their direction.
When the group arrived at the ruins of the old church, they found it even more eerie and terrifying than they had imagined. The long-abandoned building was in ruins, and moonlight shone through cracks in the roof, casting a desolate, silvery-white glow on the surroundings. Eerie gusts of wind swept through the empty rooms, producing a mournful sound.
“This is it,” Mark said in a low voice, a barely perceptible tension in his tone. “According to my research, there’s a strong possibility that an entrance to another world is hidden beneath this church. If the secret society is going to perform any rituals… they’ll probably do it here.”
Robin nodded. "Then let's go straight in from here. Remember to keep in formation and don't fall behind. If you find anything, immediately tell the other teammates." With this command, the five of them stepped over the church threshold and entered. Everything inside looked unrecognizable, eroded by time. Several tattered paintings hung on the walls, their blurred figures seemingly telling ancient stories.
“Listen!” Just as everyone was focused on their exploration, Leah suddenly stopped and listened intently—a faint footstep was coming from somewhere below. Almost simultaneously, the ground trembled slightly. “Damn it! We think we’ve been discovered…” Thomas said nervously, his palms sweating. “We have to find that secret room quickly.”
The words had barely left her lips when a dark figure swiftly emerged from the end of the corridor, heading straight for them. The newcomer was a woman dressed in a long black robe, wielding a staff inlaid with strange gems, her face completely veiled. "Bold mortal, how dare you trespass into the Holy Domain? Leave immediately, or you will be killed without mercy!" Her cold, ruthless words echoed in the empty hall, making the air seem to freeze for several seconds.
"Hmph! Who do you think you are? Don't think you can intimidate us like this!" Arya stepped forward to confront them head-on, her tone resolute. "Besides, as far as I know, your so-called 'Sanctuary' is just an illegal gathering place. Quickly hand over all the information related to the forbidden ritual and surrender, and maybe we'll spare your life!"
The woman chuckled coldly but didn't answer the question immediately. Instead, she raised her staff and began chanting obscure incantations. Instantly, the entire room became incredibly oppressive and suffocating, as a powerful dark force began to gather.
Seeing this, Rex took the initiative to try and stop the opponent from casting the spell. "Go, guys! We can't let this guy have enough time to prepare!" And so, a thrilling battle ensued...
A few young people who had already gone home to rest were drawn out by the sudden commotion. One of them, dressed in pajamas and wearing a coat, named Carl, stood on the street looking around. He said to his companion, "What's going on over there? Why is it making so much noise so late..."
Another young man, James, also looked curious: "I've heard there's been a lot of news about mysterious organizations lately. Do you think these people might also be investigating those things?"
"Oh, why worry about it? Let's just go and see. Maybe we can even help out," a short boy suggested, his words brimming with adventurous spirit. "We've got nothing better to do anyway."
The three good friends chatted as they slowly made their way towards the long-abandoned church...
At this moment, the battle inside the church had reached its climax. Arya's powerful light energy was gradually gaining the upper hand, but she still hadn't been able to completely defeat the enemy leader. Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, accompanied by a slightly immature but firm and powerful voice: "Those inside, please be careful! I am Sophia, and I've brought some helpers to support you!"
These words injected new energy into the exhausted warriors, and made everyone present understand that true unity can often overcome any difficulty, even darkness itself...
And all of this may just be the beginning of a much deeper secret...
The atmosphere in the church instantly tensed after Sophia's voice rang out. Robin and the others stopped fighting as soon as they heard this unfamiliar and sudden help.
“Sofia…is that so?” Arya turned to look at the doorway. “How did you know we were in trouble inside? And how did you manage to get help…” Her words carried a hint of suspicion and wariness. After all, in such a treacherous environment, any unknown helper would instinctively trigger their guard.
Just as the group hesitated, more footsteps sounded outside, followed by a soft opening of a door. "We genuinely want to help you defeat the evil forces; please believe in my sincerity!" the girl called Sophia continued. Several men and women dressed simply, their faces showing worry, then squeezed through the half-open doorway.
Seeing that these people meant no harm, Robin finally nodded. "Alright, in that case, let's fight side by side against the enemy before us for now."
Upon seeing this, the woman in black robes immediately let out a cold laugh: "Foolish humans... no matter how many more reinforcements you send, it will all be in vain! The great being I serve will devour all the light and hope on this land!"
After speaking, she suddenly brandished her staff, causing an even denser surge of dark elemental energy to rise in the surrounding air. The entire church began to tremble violently, as if it were about to collapse. "It seems that this disaster cannot end until she is completely defeated," Rex said through gritted teeth. "Is everyone ready for the final showdown?"
All the soldiers nodded emphatically. "Don't worry, leave it to me!" A boy named Tom stepped forward from among the new recruits, holding two short swords and looking extremely excited. "I've been wanting to see just how much I've improved!"
Meanwhile, several young people who had just arrived were discussing how to offer assistance: "We've heard that there's a secret entrance to another world hidden inside," one of the girls, named Lily, whispered. "If we could open it, we might be able to directly destroy the base of the mastermind behind it all."
As they were talking, a series of low, chilling footsteps suddenly echoed from nearby. "Could it be that other enemies are joining the battle?!" Everyone felt an unprecedented sense of urgency. "Be careful," James warned his friend. "This area is probably far more complicated than we imagine."
As the sound drew closer, several tall figures clad in dark gray robes came into view. "Hmph...so this is what you call 'heroes'? How disappointing," one of the leaders sneered. "We thought that stupid woman alone would be enough, but we didn't expect you all to be foolish enough to come and cause trouble."
Then these suddenly appearing new faces joined the fierce battle. "Oh no! This is getting worse!" Thomas shouted anxiously. "What should we do?!"
However, just when all hope seemed lost—Robin displayed unprecedented strength. "Listen up, everyone—no matter how strong the enemy is, as long as we unite, there's no problem we can't solve!" His firm and powerful words echoed across the battlefield. "Today is the perfect opportunity to witness our collective growth and transcendence."
His encouragement not only boosted the morale of the five-person team, who were initially in dire straits, but even the newly arrived newcomers were filled with fighting spirit. "Yes, that's right!" Arya responded, raising her wand high. "Let's spread this spirit of justice together and illuminate every corner of this world!"
"But..." Just as everyone was full of passion and ready to launch a new round of attack, a very faint but clearly audible voice came from a corner in the distance, interrupting all thoughts. "Don't rush, it's not too late to take action after you hear who I am~" The speaker's tone was gentle and had a hint of playfulness.
"Wait, who are you?" Sophia seemed to sense something was amiss and reacted quickly. "This voice sounds familiar... I feel like I've heard it somewhere before. How can it feel so familiar yet I can't quite place it..." She frowned, pondering as she tried to find the answer.
However, no one present could answer the question; everyone turned their wary and questioning gazes toward the source of the sound. At that moment, the air seemed to freeze, a suffocating silence descending upon them…
"Hehehe..." The mysterious voice drifted over again, disappearing into the endless darkness before giving anyone a chance to catch their breath. "We'll meet again soon..."
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